CPI Leader Demands Reinstatement of Fired Professor
Patna: January 22, 2008
 Communist Party of India (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya in Patna on Tuesday condemned the sacking of Patna University professor N. K. Chowdhary for speaking against the Vice Chancellor Y. C. Simadri calling the decision to fire Chowdhary a 'draconian' measure that smacked of totalitarianism.
"It is highly undemocratic to sack someone for speaking one's mind," the left leader said adding he resented the idea of appointing OSDs in all universities as it was a way for the government to have more control on the places of learning.
Bhattacharya said it would be a mistake to assume that by appointing a new Vice Chancellor would somehow cure all problems currently being faced by the university. "Democratic values must be restored and one way of doing it would be to hold Patna University students' union election without further delay," he said.
Interestingly, sources said that Simadri, merely hours before sending his resignation to the Governor, withdrew the suspension order of Prof. Chowdhary and notified the concerned officials of the change in his heart.
Meanwhile, a number of Patna University students under the banner of various students' organization on Tuesday took out a rally demanding reinstatement of Prof. Chowdhary.
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